Black Tohru
by j.curl
Summary: Tohru hits her head and strange things start happening when the Souma males pop up naked around her. Some Ayaru, a dash of Toriru, pinches of Yukiru and Kyoru, and a heaping helping of Haruru final pairing.
1. Chapter 1

I have discovered that I absolutely adore Fruits Basket. Especially the thought of Ayame(my fave) and Tohru together. But she'll end up with someone else, because this story premise is just not right for my Aya to fall in love.

0000

It was the weekend they were at the lake. She had slipped and although both Kyo and Yuki tried to save her, she ended up falling over the miniature cliff and hitting her head. There didn't seem to be any ill effects...until Ayame walked back from the lake he was thrown into by the mouse, dripping wet and transformed from a snake back into a very. naked. man. Only Shigure saw the way her eyes darkened from a light turquoise to a deep indigo, but soon it was forgotten as the scene unfolded before him.

Yuki yelled at Ayame to get some clothes back on. Hatori expected Tohru to turn away in embarrassment, but she began to walk towards the long-haired brother.

"Oh Yuki! HAHAH..." he was cut off mid-laugh by Tohru's mouth on his, her hands first threading in his incredible hair, then barely caressing his shoulders, running over his chest, and down...

"Tohru-kun!"

It was more of a collective gasp from the rest of the males in the room than a shout from a single person. But Tohru seemed to have gone crazy.

"Aya..." she breathed, tracing circles on his hipbone with her thumbnail. Suddenly, that hand was yanked away and her body followed and she came face to face with Yuki's anger.

"What are you doing Honda-san?" Her response was to try and go back to his older brother.

"I need Ayame. Aya..."she sighed.

"Hohoho, Yuki! You should realize now that no woman can resist my charm and charisma! And now!" He pulled the girl to his chest with his left arm, making her face outward as he moved his right hand to accentuate and showcase the coming words. "Tohru! We will go and explore each other's bodies and I will make you feel things you never felt before!"

Kyo bopped him on the head and started shouting. But Tohru had other ideas.

"How do you know I won't be the one teaching you new things, Aya," she purred looking into his golden gaze. Both Yuki and Kyo stared at her incredulously. Shigure's eyes were nearly out of his skull and on the ground. Hatori watched her, perplexed. Tohru turned to them sharply.

"Are you going to give us some privacy?" she snarled. They were taken aback. When had Tohru ever been angry, or even annoyed for that matter?

"Tohru, we can't let you do this," Hatori began.

She glared at him.

"I'm afraid something is really wrong..."

Ayame pouted and Tohru tossed her hair over her shoulder with an irritated look.

"Fine," she sniffed and walked to her room.

"Ne-what is going on, Hatori?" Yuki asked.

"I have no idea. She's acting like she has a whole different personality," his brow was furrowed.

00000

Tohru laid on her bed with a sneaky smile on her lips. She could wait. Patience was a virtue, after all.

0000

Very short, but following chapters will be longer and with more detail. I love this anime so much that I've only written this chapter (very hurriedly) against my usual fanfic posting scheme.


	2. Chapter 2

Wickedly lemon. Thanks for reviewing fluffychick15! I posted this just for you!

00000

It was late. It was very late. Tohru had stayed in her room for four hours, until the clock struck the midnight hour. She sat up, her hair down and loose about her. She slid out of bed and made a face at the pajamas she was wearing: long sleeve shirt and pants. She wriggled out of the latter of the two and smiled at the reflection in the mirror. Boyshorts were sexy in their own way.

Tohru slid the door open slowly, quietly. She could hear the soft snores Shigure and the gentle breathing of Yuki and Hatori in the other room. She guessed Kyo was up on the roof, and then it didn't matter whether he was asleep or not. Foolishly, they had left Ayame on the couch by himself. She smiled a devious smile. She could be quiet, but could he?

He had obviously borrowed a yukata of Shigure's to sleep in and had the blankets thrown haphazardly around him. Tohru moved them around to further her devices and untied the loose knot on the robe that kept her from him.

He looked like a fallen angel, cradled by his hair in a cocoon of blankets. She traced her fingertips just above his alabaster skin, enough to stir the air into a whisper about him. One leg was on the couch, but the other had fallen to the ground, and Tohru knelt in the space that made on the couch. She put her face close to those pearlescent curls around his manhood. It smelled pleasently musky and dark and as she breathed out, the was air from her lips caused the tiniest stirring. She paused, gathering a bit more saliva in her mouth and then put her lips over the soft cock in front of her. She slid down slowly, keeping her eyes on him. It started to harden, but she kept going down until she reached those curls. Tohru started pulling back and, when she got to the tip, flicked her tongue on the little ridge hidden underneath.

Ayame's eyes flew open with a gasp. Tohru smirked at him as she worked the tip with her tongue. Ayame was momentarily stunned. He had never in his wildest dreams thought he would be on the receiving end of Tohru's mouth...that was reserved for his weekly daydreams about her. The sight of her, now bobbing up and down on his penis with her dark eyes locked on his, and the thought of how she was supposed to be innocent sent him over the edge.

She caught his cum in her mouth slightly curious at the salty taste, but gave one last, hard, long suck to squeeze the rest out of him.

"Tohru..." Now that this was actually happening, Ayame was slightly unsure. Before, he had been joking around, thinking Tohru had finally had the courage to flirt and whatnot around the guys when they teased her. "...are you sure you know what you're doing?"

She bit her lip as he sat up.

"No," she answered in an innocent voice. "But I think I know what I want to be doing."

Ayame looked at her curiously, cocking his head. She leaned her head closer and whispered, changing into a dark, sultry voice as she sat straddling his hips.

"You."

And with that, she ripped open the pajama top, buttons flying everywhere, and (he was pleased to note) bare breasts bouncing. He cupped them gently and smiled to see they barely made a handful each. They were a perfect fit for her, with rosy, fawn-colored nipples that were the size of a quarter. They begged to be taste, so he obliged the pert nodules with some hard sucks and nibbles. She cried softly, throwing her head back, but he knew she wished to go louder by how hard her fingers dug into his shoulders. Tohru rubbed her throbbing clit over his erection, and though Ayame could feel ample wetness, he needed more.

"Do you like these panties?" he whispered into her neck. She shook her head, confused, and he ripped them off of her.

In response, Tohru pushed him roughly so his back was against the couchback and he moved his hands to her hips. She rose over him and used a hand to position him at her entrance. She went so slowly he thought it was possible he would have a heart attack. He looked into her face and saw that her eyes were shut in pain.

"It'll hurt less if I go in quickly," Ayame said softly. She momentarily relinquished control and his hands pushed her hips down swiftly. She strangled the cry that threatened to burst from her and turned it into a choked sob.

"Good girl," he whispered, but in all honestly, he wanted to cry out as well. She was so hot and wet and tight and...currently riding him like she owned him. She used her folded legs and hands on the back of the couch for leverage. Ayame had the sudden thought that he had considered Tohru bouncy, but not like this. He chuckled a bit and she flashed him a grin.

"What's so funny?" He just shook his head.

"Oh yeah," she continued. "I guess I'll have to force it out of you."

With that, Tohru leaned back, supporting herself on the coffee table and unfolding her legs to wrap around him. That was slighty awkward, but she redeemed herself when she began impaling herself hard on his shaft. Ayame helped, thrusting in time with her hips with a scooping motion that lifted her slightly.

"Ay...Aya..." He had begun to use his thumb to stimulate the nub of nerves above her slit. She shuddered as an orgasm overcame her. Ayame reveled in the fact that he gave her such pleasure. He always fell a little bit in love with a woman when she came for him.

He took his engorged penis out of Tohru and turned her so that she was on her hands and knees on the couch, near the end. It seemed the couch had been made for this position, as it had no armrests and put her at the perfect heighth for him to enter her. He did so, thrusting his cock in and out of her at a leisurely pace, bringing her hips to meet his this time.

Tohru went with this for a while, but found she needed something a little bit faster. She tried to push against him at a more rapid pace, but he held her hips firm. This elicited a growl from her.

"Oh Tohru! Did you need something?" Ayame asked lightly.

"Ung...faster..."

"Are you sure Tooohruuu?" he drew out her name as he yanked her upright by her long hair and she shivered, but Ayame soon obliged her. He listened to and loved the quick, shallow breathes that he forced out of her in little gasps with his thrusts. His breath was hot on her neck and it caused in involuntary reaction from her. Suddenly, she clenched around him and then Ayame was into oblivion once more.

His seed spilt into her and made her inner thighs sticky. She sighed in relief. Ayame took her hand and pulled her into the bathroom where he wet a washcloth, knelt, and cleaned her of his release. He smiled softly into her eyes and all joking was pushed aside.

"I'm selfishly glad you picked me, Tohru."

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And I'm ridiculously excited to write this story! If the lemon offends though, I'll take it off here and repost it somewhere else and give you guys the link.


	3. Chapter 3

To **bleh**: And she liked it...alot.

Double zeros

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(Earlier)

"What do you think is wrong with her, Hatori?" Shigure asked.

"She could have developed schizophrenia or some other psychological disorder. Post-traumatic stress..." he trailed off. "Yuki, Kyo, did anything happen to her in the last week or so?"

"No!" Kyo shouted, confused by the situation and angry that he was.

"She hit her head today," Yuki answered softly. "Could that have affected her?"

"It is a possibility," Hatori told him.

"She hits her head all of the time! She's got too thick of a skull for it to cause any damage..." Kyo argued angrily.

"My poor wife," Shigure said tearfully.

"Nani!" Kyo gasped. "She's not your wife you pervert!"

"You're the baka, neko," Yuki cut in. "If you cannot contribute anything worthwhile to the conversation, then stop talking."

"Kuso nezumi!" Kyo threw a punch, but his jaw was met with Yuki's foot and he was knocked unconsious.

"I will take her to the clinic tomorrow and run some tests," Hatori concluded.

"Minna-san! Isn't it obvious that Tohru just cannot control herself when coming face to face with such a perfect specimen of manhood?"

"Yes, Aya, and you become more perfect everyday," Shigure answered.

"Only because I have your love, Gure-san," the pale-haired man agreed.

Yuki shook his head at the idiocy and went to Tohru's door and knocked, calling out her name. When she didn't answer, he slid the door open and found her asleep.

"Ano, Tohru is sleeping." He was confused, but the clock told him that it was nearly ten o'clock and the men decided the conversation would best wait for the morning.

00

(After)

(After the ridiculously hot sex, that is.)

"Chose you?" Tohru looked at Ayame oddly.

"Yes..." But Ayame was cut off as Hatori slid the bathroom door open. Seeing that they were naked, he quickly realized what must have transpired while the rest were asleep.

"Get dressed," he ordered softly, dangerously and left them to obey.

It had been a few minutes, causing Hatori to growl in impatience, when Tohru was suddenly shoved out of the door in the yukata Ayame had previously worn. Her eyes were heavy-lidded with passion and before he could scold her, she spoke to him.

"Hatori-san," she began in that dark, low voice that was filled with promise. "I can't seem to figure out if you are stopping me because you are worried..."

She knelt in front of where he was sitting and put her hand on his knee.

"...or jealous."

"Jealous of what, Tohru-kun?" he answered. His control was stellar. It had to be.

The slow smile on her face gradually transformed into a huge grin, and she moved to a chair across from him without saying a word. As soon as she sat down, Ayame exited the bathroom. He frowned at the lack of seating next to Tohru, but moved next to Hatori on the couch.

"Ah, Ha-san! What can I help you with?" Hatori looked at Ayame sharply.

"You knew that we had discussed and decided to leave her be until I could run some tests today and you deliberately disobeyed."

Ayame looked unsure as to whether he should submit to Hatori's anger or defend his right to be with Tohru. His pale golden eyes darted back and forth between the two, so unlike his normal self, even subdued by the doctor's presence.

A sigh came from the left side of the couch.

"Tohru-kun, please get dressed before the boys wake up and realize you are wearing Ayame's pajamas. We will leave early for the clinic and Ayame, you will stay here and act as though nothing happened last night."

The good doctor waited until Tohru was safely in her room before standing to retreive his car keys.

00

Movin along...slowly but surely.

Ick...why do I keep writing ridiculously short chaps? Oh my fickle muse! I know I did wrong starting two other stories, but don't desert me now!


	4. Chapter 4

To **mistyamethyst1312**: I kicked her and then she broke my typing hand...which also happens to be my pimp hand so I could neither type nor pimp for a while Itai :) jk

To everyone reading this story: There will be sex. Lots of it. In detail. From now on I will mark it with radical signs so you can skip it. THE SEX IS PART OF THE PLOT. THERE IS A REASON FOR IT. If it offends you to where you can't sleep at night or something, TELL ME AND I WILL FIX IT. Arigatou for not freaking out about it and needlessly reporting me. (Really, if sex in fanfictions gets you that worked up, go research how badly the government is f-ing up the environment and then tell me what you should be directing your rightous anger at!).

Sorry about the wait.

00

Hatori took Tohru to the clinic by himself. The others besides Ayame were asleep and besides, if anyone could control himself around a lust-crazed girl, it was most certainly he. They had been driving for about twenty minutes and she had not yet made a move, just sat quietly in the passenger's seat with her head down. It puzzled him, but he left her alone.

"Ha...Hatori-san? Why are we going to your work? I'm not sick." He glanced into her blue eyes, wide with confusion and innocence, and he became confused as well at her lack of...well...modesty or whatever. She just slept with Yuki's brother for godssakes.

They reached the clinic, a stone's throw away from the main house, and still she was subdued. Then Momiji came flying down the sidewalk yelling her name and she looked up in surprise. Hatori noticed that her cheeks were heavily flushed, but that thought flew out of his mind as the blond boy flung himself into Tohru, which knocked her into the doctor.

Two poofs of smoke later, Tohru was her old self: squealing, running to grab them and their clothes and get them inside, fairly fainting with a sense of urgency. She put Momiji in a checkup room and put Hatori next door into his office. She was walking back towards the door to see the blond Souma when another poof alerted her to the fact that the other Juunishi member had just changed back. Just one quick glance behind her shoulder and that indigo gaze appeared. Her hand move from the handle to the tab in the middle of it.

She locked the door.

He had already begun putting on his clothes, but that didn't help. Hatori reached for his shirt, but found it was currently missing from the floor of the office. His gaze traveled up the slender legs of the young girl infront of him who was holding his shirt loosely in her right hand. He rose from the ground and held out his hand for the garment, ignoring her teasing smile.

"So stoic, Hatori-san, so commanding," her eyes traveled over him and she gave him a naughty smirk. "Don't you know it drives young girls to do things behind closed doors?"

The only clue that he had either heard or processed what she said was the large swallow he took that made his adam's apple bob.

Tohru threw the shirt behind her, reached under her skirt, and pulled down a pair of panties, wriggling out of them. She held them up and made a surprised face.

"Doctor, I think there's something the matter with me," she said innocently. "I seem to be all wet..."

**!LEMONY FRESHNESS UP AHEAD!THAT MEANS SEX!**

She grabbed his hand and led it to the place her the pink lace had hid.

"...Right...here."

When his fingers brushed against the warm dampness, it was like a live wire shocked him into action and he jerked his hand back.

"This is inappropriate, Tohru-kun," he said steadily and swallowed forcefully. "Put those back on so I can examine you."

Tohru responded by backing up to his desk, sitting on it and sliding back so she was toward the middle, careful of the objects placed on there, then spreading her legs. He was mesmerized, knowing he should turn away, walk out the door, anything.

"You can examine me right here Tori-san. Here, I'll help," and she pushed her fingers inside herself. And with one moan of his name, the control he worked so hard on broke.

"No, Tohru," he chided, walking toward her. "Like this."

And he replaced his fingers with her own. She arched into him and grabbed onto his upper arms as he stroked her into obliviousness.

"Yes," she hissed, then trailed her hands down to fondle the front of his pants. She slid off of the desk, stopping his ministrations, and came to rest back onto the floor on her knees in front of him. Her nimble fingers made quick work of the button and zipper at eye-level, and she released the growing bulge from its cloth prison. He stepped out of the material.

"Commando?" she queried, looking up at him and was rewarded with a slight blush.

He groaned as he felt her soft lips surround him, and supported his rapidly-becoming-heavy body by both arms on the desk in front of him. The rhythm rocked him into a gloriously blank state of mind, pushing him to the brim, when his eyes suddenly shot open.

"No," he gasped. "Not yet."

And he disengaged Tohru and yanked her up, descending on her with a kiss that was all clashing of teeth and heated breath. She forcefully pushed him toward the wall, his back hitting it with a thump. With catlike grace she walked the handfull of steps toward him, but stopped and leaned next to him against the cool surface. Hatoru looked at her curiously and she answered with a devilish grin. He in turn answered her silent command, lifting her up and impaling her on his organ, thrusting into her so she hit the wall with soft, rhythmic thumps. His lips skimmed her collarbone, with his tongue occasionally flicking out to taste her salt-sweat or pressing his lips to the muscle between her shoulder and neck in a heated sucking kiss that had her arching her back until her only shoulderblades and head rested against the vertical surface.

Tohru had threaded her hands in his hair, pulling as though she thought she would fall of the earth if she let go. And the soft whispers over the sounds of their joining, like a mantra over and over,

"HatoriHatoriHatoriHatoriHatoriHatoriHatoriHatoriHatoriHa..."

Murmuring his name until he believed it was the only word left in the world. And then a pause,

"The desk..."

He lifted her off and in a wildly uncharacteristic motion, he swept his arm across the desk and cleared its contents to the floor.

"You choose," he said roughly and she bent over the desk immediately, looking over her shoulder expectantly.

There was a bark of laughter and then he filled her again.

After a while, her hipbones became sore from the rocking up against the wood, so she used her leverage to spin while he was still inside her, ending up facing him again.

The movement made Hatori gasp, stop, and force himself to think of cold showers so that he didn't lose his control. After a moment of stillness, he lifted her hips and rested her legs over his shoulders and began thrusting quickly and forcefully. Tohru responded by arching her back and squeezing her eyes shut.

"Yes...Ha...san...there..."

He hit that spot inside of her that released warm waves and she shuddered and shuddered until he too came, shooting his seed inside of her. There was a momentary relaxation and then he scooped her up and laid down on the floor, her on top and he still inside her. They laid like that until they caught their breath.

He was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry Toh..."

"You have nothing to be sorry for," she paused and then a weak smile. "Except for the fact that we didn't start doing this sooner."

He shook his head.

"I need to examine you..." Hatori trailed off when he saw the devilish look and grin she gave him. He blush and sputtered. "Not like that!"

Tohru rolled off of him and sighed. He began to get dressed.

"Meet me out there in five minutes Tohru," he paused "-chan."

00

Yet another lemon filled chap. in **_BLACK TOHRU!_**

Don't worry faithful readers, alot more plot coming up! ...gotta set the story up after all.

Chan: term of endearment, I believe used for such things as boyfriends, girlfriends, lovers...etc.


	5. Chapter 5

Ok, update. So so sosososososo sorry.

00

Hatori was ashamed and a bit frightened. Ashamed because he had taken advantage of a recently not-so-innocent Tohru and frightened because they hadn't used protection. Only a bit frightened about that though because what male Juunishi hadn't dreamed of Tohru, with her accepting of the curse and understanding of the trials each went through, wanting to be with them, take care of them, and be there everyday to let them know that despite everything they were loved beyond comprehension.

If Tohru became pregnant with a Juunishi's child, Akito would have no choice but to allow the father to claim responsibility and marry the girl proper. If he tried to have Tohru's memory erased, Hatori would decline, saying it might affect the unborn baby. If he was forced to, and Tohru had no memory of the father, surely the girl's friends, who were yet unknown to Akito, would be in an uproar and blame Yuki, Kyo, or even Shigure. They were so protective of her that they would be vocal to the point of bringing the Sohma into public light, which was worse than someone marrying an outsider.

But she was only an outsider to Akito and even then, she understood him as well...more than the rest of the Sohma family who stood in relative fearful awe of their Master. There would be objections from others, Yuki and Kyo especially, perhaps Ayame...

Ayame! He had sex with Tohru as well! Could he have...? But no, he wouldn't. But then again there was no condom and the towels...

Hatori's head spun. Tohru could be pregnant with Ayame's child! He had figured Ayame was angling Tohru towards Yuki, but the young girl seemed to have snared him in the same net the rest of them were happily trapped in as well.

His thoughts were interrupted by said girl entering the room, brow furrowed over her bright blue-green eyes.

"Where's Momiji?" Hatori had moved the still rabbit-sized boy to another room so they could get started. Momiji had been instructed to stay put until they were finished with the examination of Tohru. She seemed quiet, subdued as she had been during the car ride over here and it confused the hell out of him. Did she suddenly get embarassed by her actions? But she didn't have a semblance of shame on her features only slight...confusion...even more so than usual and that was saying something.

"Is something wrong, Tohru?"

"Ano...I feel tired."

Hatori coughed into his hand.

"Yes, well...gomen...I didn't...it was..." he couldn't get a word out. She was looking at him inquisitively so he cleared his throat and said what needed to be said. "If it upset you...what we did in there...then I won't say anything to Ayame or anyone else."

"What did we do in there that would upset me, Hatori-san?"

The doctor blinked. Twice.

Then Tohru blinked back at him.

The silence stretched on.

"Umm," Hatori said, rather intelligently. Tohru was expectantly staring at him with a small encouraging smile no where near the sex kitten smirk she was sporting not ten minutes ago.

"You don't remember anything?"

Tohru shook her head.

"What about with Ayame?"

"When Yuki threw him into the lake?" she asked. Hatori nodded.

"Then what you did last night."

There was that confusion again.

"I slept?"

"With..." he prodded.

It just wasn't connecting.

"You slept with Ayame, Tohru."

"Ano, that's wrong. Ayame-san slept on the couch, Hatori-san."

He was at a loss for words. Tohru was denying everything.

"What happened after you went to your room, Tohru?"

"I...I went to sleep I think and then I woke up in your car and we drove here and then...we took another nap?"

Ahh. Maybe she was just being shy about it now. Maybe she had realized what she had done and how being with someone who was not Yuki or Kyo was not going to go over so well...as if her being with a particular Juunishi wouldn't cause a multitude of problems.

"You do know what sex is, right, Tohru?" The girl in question stammered and blushed.

"Oka...Oka-san told me it...its something that t-two people do together to show each other...umm how much they love each other."

"Do you agree with your mother?" The change in Tohru's demeanor was instantaneous. She clasped her hands in front of her and nodded vigorously.

"Oh yes! Oka-san is always right!"

This was getting ridiculous.

"So you love both me and Ayame?"

And she was perplexed again. The blank expression returned and they were back to square one. Hatori tried to word his next question so Tohru wouldn't feel intimdated to lie more.

"Have you had sex with someone you love?"

Tohri looked mortified that he would ask that question, but ever helpful, she answered slowly.

"No Hatori-san," her voice was soft and he thought she was rejecting Ayame and, more importantly, himself. But then her next words shocked him. "I have not had sex with anyone yet."

00

Short, but hey: plot, not random hot sex with Junishi!

Although there's nothing wrong with that of course ;)


	6. Chapter 6

Just to clarify: I have only seen the 26 anime episodes of Fruits Basket. Except the one that has Hiro in it. So...yeah. That's it.

00

"Tohru..." Hatori didn't know what to say to her. She was denying everything. But why? Unless...

She must be psychologically damaged. That was it. He would take her to a psychiatrist and have her analyzed. No, even better. He would take some CAT scans of her brain and have a neurologist examine them. That way they could tell if it was because of that fall Yuki said she had or if it was something mentally wrong with her. So he took a couple, gave her a routine exam, and then they were done...Or so she thought.

"Tohru, I need to stop by the Main House and drop Momiji off." She nodded, holding the rabbit that was Momiji to her chest, stroking his fur softly. Hatori almost wished that he could trade places with the boy, but negated that thought instantly with images of where she had stroked him. And then he felt very guilty of what he was about to do...research or not.

He pulled up to the front gates, turning the car off and ushering Tohru out of the car and into the compound with her fuzzy load. They reached his house in no time, despite the winding walkways.

"Here, let me take him." Hatori relieved her of the now sleeping rabbit boy. "If you want to wait a moment, I'll have some lunch brought."

She nodded brightly and as he left, the Juunishi Dragon prayed for forgiveness for what he was about to do.

00

The car ride back to the villa consisted of Tohru singing softly along to the radio for the better part of a half hour. Surprising himself, Hatori found he didn't mind that much. He felt oddly at peace with himself, but conflicted at the same time. No matter. He did what had to be done, and there were to be no regrets. He had lived with another person's memories before, and he could carry the burden of what he had done for Tohru, even though it gave him a twinge of hatred for his own weaknesss at the same time. Hopefully it would always remain a fond, if tainted, recollection. He knew that keeping his residence at the Main House would remind him often enough. There was no part of his home he hadn't desecrated.

"Ok, Tohru," Hatori opened the car door for her. "I need to talk to Shigure and the boys, but remember: the Main House tomorrow at twelve for your appointment. I'm sorry I can't pick you up, but Akito is my priority."

"Of course Hatori-san!" she chirped, then a yawn interrupted her. "Ano...gomen. I am very tired."

The guilt. The pricking of self-hate.

"Don't worry. Just go to sleep and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hai!"

And off she went. Hatori waited a moment, fiddling with something in the car, pretending to be occupied. He made his way around the lakehouse to the porch where Shigure and Yuki were. They looked surprised to see him, but Hatori made a motion with his hands to keep them silent.

"Kyo!" an orange-haired head poked out from the roof of the house. "Come here for a moment. I need to speak with all of you."

The cat jumped, landing with a thump next to the table before taking a seat. Hatori told them about his examination and that he would need someone to drop Tohru off at the Main House. He explained about the CAT scans and all agreed it would be the best course of action. In the middle of a discussion about the choice of psychiatrist, Ayame slide the door open and joined the others. He listened for a moment, surprising all but the doctor with his subdued attitude.

"Hatori, why don't you act as psychiatrist? You have done so for some of the moth...others in the family that have had problems," Yuki pointed out. Shigure nodded and Kyo let out a 'keh!'; Ayame didn't answer. It wasn't until after the others had left that Hatori found out why.

00

Ayame was silent, and Hatori himself didn't know how to start up a conversation without seeming contrite.

"I thought she chose to be with me," Ayame began. "When I had first met her, first had a conversation with her, I thought, 'She understands'. I had wanted her for myself then, but even more I knew she would be able to heal Yuki. But each time I am with her, the feeling of want for myself deepens, as the feeling of want for Yuki's happiness lessens."

Hatori said nothing and kept his eyes focused, unfocused on the shining lake.

"I know you've slept with her." There was malice in his voice, but then he smiled. "Call it 'snake's instinct'."

The irony of the statement was lost on the doctor, but waves of shame washed over him.

"You can't have her, you know. Even though you've been hurt, you don't deserve her. We don't deserve her. I realized that after you had gone. She'll go to Yuki and that's how it is."

There was a long silence again and then Hatori spoke.

"Or Kyo. She's closer to him than she is to Yuki anyway. To her, Yuki is still the untouchable Prince of her high school."

This time Ayame said nothing. Hatori had known that he could not keep Honda Tohru. But like his pale haired friend, he chose to at least taste the life he wished for. A life he thought was once attainable.

_What do you think of when you see the melting snow?_

_Ermm, well...It'll be spring, right? No matter how cold it is now, Spring will come back for sure._

Still, he was trapped in his frozen prison. But he had happiness once. Shouldn't that be enough?

_Amazing isn't it? Snow always melts away._

But then again, maybe someday...

_Always._

00

Tohru was kneeling at the table, staring off into the distance. Yuki came up beside her, putting a palm on her forehead.

"I think you might be coming down with a fever, Tohru," he frowned. "It was too cold yesterday; we shouldn't have kept you out by the lake so late."

She smiled up at him. "It was beautiful out there. Even if I catch a little cold because of it, it would be worth it."

He wanted so badly to tell her that the lake was nothing compared to her. She was the most beautiful thing in the entire world, inside and out. One day, when he could offer her more than being married to a cursed half-rodent, Yuki would tell her everything he kept bottled up, everything he wanted to say to her.

"Go to sleep. Its nearly dark anyways."

"Hai."

00

They rounded the corner at the same time. An orange puff of smoke and then Kyo was one-eighth of the size of his human body.

"Watch where you're going!"

"Ah, gomen, Kyo. I should have watched where I was going."

"Hmph. Now I'll be stuck like this for half the..."

Poof! 

"...uh, nevermind." He quickly slipped on his pants and was in the middle of buttoning his shirt when she stopped him

"Kyo," Tohru breathed. "Kiss me."

She half-stumbled into his arms, or as close as she could without changing him back into a cat. He grasped her shoulders, shock and nerves causing him to squeeze a bit more than was necessary.

"Wha..what?"

Tohru didn't wait for him to process her words, pressing her lips to his lower one. Kyo stood stick-straight, waiting to wake up from what he was sure was a dream, until the slight pain from Tohru biting down just barely on his captured lip forced him to realize that he was awake. He loosened his hold on her, getting as close as possible without touching chest-to-chest. It was thirty seconds of pure bliss until she slumped forward...all dead weight. Only his...cat-like reflexes saved him from possible squishing and definite transformation.

He turned her slightly, so he was able to look clearly at her face. She was asleep, breathing lightly through her mouth. A frown furrowed his brow (_were his kisses really that boring?_), but in the end he decided she must have just been worn out at Hatori's; Kyo knew those tests even put him to sleep sometimes.

00

Short, but I already updated both 'Obsession' and 'Second Chance' and this was next on my list. Sorry about the wait and hopefully I'll have the next chapter out in a week.


End file.
